1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a toner for developing an electrostatic image, a method for preparing the toner for developing an electrostatic image, a developer for an electrostatic image, a toner cartridge, a process cartridge, an image forming method, and an image forming apparatus.
2. Related Art
A method of visualizing image information through an electrostatic image by an electrophotographic process or the like is currently applied to various fields of art. In the electrophotographic process, an electrostatic image (electrostatic latent image) is formed on a photoconductor (image holding member) through charging and exposing, and the electrostatic image is developed with a developer containing a toner, and then visualized through transferring and fixing. The developer used herein includes a two-component developer containing a toner and a carrier, and a single-component developer using a magnetic toner or a non-magnetic toner solely. The toner is generally prepared by a mixing and pulverizing method, in which a thermoplastic resin is melted and kneaded with a pigment, a charge controlling agent and a releasing agent such as wax, and the mixture is cooled, finely pulverized and then classified. The toner may contain, depending on necessity, inorganic or organic particles added to the surface of the toner particles for improving the flowability and the cleaning property.